Book Review: KIDPRENEUR$ (Young Entrepreneurs with BIG Ideas!)
About two months ago, I was introduced to Matthew Toren, c0-author of KIDPRENEUR$: Young Entrepreneurs with BIG Ideas! and co-founder of kidpreneurs.org. Admittedly, I was very inspired by his story. After all, our family had recently started our own journey of entrepreneurism and Matthew and his brother had a created a website and written a book on the topic.
When Matthew offered to send me a copy of his book, I gladly accepted. After finishing it this weekend, I wanted to post an online review because Kidpreneurs should be part of every young entrepreneur’s library.
For starters…the book is short, concise and easy to read. It reminds me of the For Dummies series, meaning it provides quality content in a format that is enjoyable to consume. There are places to take notes throughout the book and a quiz at the end of each chapter. At the very end of the book, there is a bonus section where you can create your own business plan.
The book is targeted…at any child who is interested in learning more about becoming an entrepreneur. Personally, I plan to read it to my four and six-year-old children this week but I also think teenagers and high school students would find KIDPRENEUR$ enjoyable. I think it would be best utilized by kids getting into business for the first time, but could also serve as a refresher for any young entrepreneur.
The framework of the book…includes chapters ranging from how grown-ups make money, to a questionnaire on whether you’ve got the temperament to be an entrepreneur, to ideas on sample businesses and how to get started, to networking and giving back to the community. It also includes a list of great resources from business web sites to money management to building a web site for kids.
The best part of the book…is a chapter on helpful hints for budding entrepreneurs – most of which are critical to getting a successful business up and running. In my opinion, this part of the book could be used over and over again because the principles are so important (i.e. Never Give Up, Ask For Help, Have Fun). Perhaps this section could be done as an insert so kids could pull it out and hang it on their wall.
If I were to change one thing…I would integrate the book with a website so updates could be made periodically. For example, the list of information included in the resources section could be modified as new and unique items (i.e. websites) come online. The only reason I say this is because there is the potential for some of the information in this section to become outdated.
Overall…if you are looking for a way to introduce your child to becoming an entrepreneur, this is the book for you. The information is presented in a clear and concise manner and contains a lot of valid information as it was created by two successful entrepreneurs. And based on the increasing student debt and unemployment rate amongst recent college grads, I might be so bold as to say KIDPRENEUR$ should be a required textbook at every school.
What do your kids want to be when they grow up? Is entrepreneurism an option? What books are your children reading today?
Next: 10 Steps to Teaching Your Kids to Become Entrepreneurs
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Shafer...Power! 
As I commented on a previous post, my husband would like our twin boys to consider becoming entrepreneurs. I’ll have to tell him about this book. Thank you!
Of couse, happy to help. Please tell him to chime in on the blog when he get the chance. Thx!
Where were books like this when I was a kid?
Yep, I agree!
Our oldest daughter just started reading Magic Tree House, which is about two young kids who explore the globe. It seems like you are helping your kids to do the same thing.
Exploring, learning, adventuring….whatever you want to call it. I believe being proactive is one of the first steps in creating a better future.
Mr. Shafer, it seems like the Toren brothers might be on to something….very interesting!
This looks like a great read. I’ll keep an eye out for it.